Resultados preliminares de una unidad de soporte ventilatorio no invasivo en SARS-COV-2 / Preliminary results of a non-invasive ventilatory support unit in SARS-COVID-2

Resumen La utilización de tratamientos de soporte respiratorio no invasivos en la pandemia por COVID-19, es motivo de controversias. El objetivo de este trabajo observacional, fue mostrar la experiencia del primer mes desde la creación de la Unidad de Soporte Ventilatorio no Invasivo (USoVNI) en el Hospital Fernández. Se describe la creación de la unidad, relación profesional de atención-paciente, tipo de habitación, equipo de protección personal modificado, equipamiento de diagnóstico, monitoreo y soporte ventilatorio para tratamiento, criterios de inclusión y algoritmo de tratamiento. Ingresaron 40 pacientes, 25 (63%) derivados de Clínica Médica, 10 (25%) de Emergentología y 5 (13%) de guardia externa. Al ingreso, se calcularon los escores National Early Warning Score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Disease Classification System II y Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, con medianas de 12, 8, y 2 puntos, respectivamente. El escore Lung Ultrasonography Score se tomó para cuantificar el compromiso pulmonar ecográficamente. Todos los pacientes ingresaron con máscara con reservorio, y fue estimada una fracción inspirada de O de 80% para el cálculo de la razón presión arterial de O / fracción inspirada de O (Pa/FiO ) de ingreso. El tiempo transcurrido desde el inicio de síntomas hasta el ingreso a la unidad tuvo una mediana de 13 días. El desarrollo de la USoVNI permitió que una gran proporción no fueran trasladados a la Unidad de Terapia Intensiva y podría ser beneficioso para preservar su capacidad. Nuestros resultados sugieren que estas unidades resultarían adecuadas para el tratamiento de la insuficiencia respiratoria aguda grave por COVID-19.

Abstract The use of non-invasive respiratory support in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is controversial. The aim of this observational study was to show the experience of the first month since the creation of a Non-invasive Ventilatory Support Unit (NIVSU) at Hospital Fernández. We describe the creation of the NIVSU, the health professional-patient ratio, the type of room, the modified personal protection equipment; diagnostic, monitoring and ventilatory support equipment for treatment, as well as the inclusion criteria and the treatment algorithm. Twenty five (63%) of patients were referred from the Internal Medicine Ward, 10 (25%)) from Shock Room, and 5 (13%) from Emergency Ward. National Early Warning Score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Disease Classification System II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, were calculated on admission, with a median of 12, 8, and 2 points, respectively. The Lung Ultrasonography Score was taken to quantify lung ultrasound findings. All patients were admitted with a reservoir mask, 80% inspired O fraction was estimated for the calculation of arterial O pressure/ inspired O fraction ratio (Pa/FiO ) at admission. The median of time elapsed from the onset of symptoms referred by the patient to UNIT admission was 13 days. The development of NIVSU prevented a large proportion of patients from being transferred to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and it could be beneficial in preserving ICUs capacity. These early results suggest that non-invasive treatment may be beneficial for the treatment of severe acute respiratory failure by COVID-19.

Delirium em uma unidade de terapia intensiva latino-americana. Estudo prospectivo em coorte em pacientes em ventilação mecânica / Delirium in a Latin American intensive care unit. A prospective cohort study of mechanically ventilated patients

RESUMO Objetivo: Estabelecer a prevalência do delirium em uma unidade de terapia intensiva geral e identificar os fatores associados, sua expressão clínica e sua influência no desfecho. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo de coorte em uma unidade de terapia intensiva clínico-cirúrgica. Avaliamos os pacientes diariamente, com a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale e a Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit, com o objetivo de identificar delirium nos pacientes mecanicamente ventilados. Resultados: Nesta série de casos, a prevalência de delirium foi de 184 pacientes com delirium em um total de 230 pacientes. O subtipo de delirium psicomotor foi hiperativo em 11 pacientes (6%), hipoativo em 9 (5%) e misto em 160 (89%). Uma modelagem de regressão logística múltipla, com delirium como a variável de desfecho dependente (para avaliar os fatores de risco para delirium), revelou que idade acima de 65 anos, histórico de consumo de álcool e dias em uso de ventilação mecânica foram variáveis que se associaram independentemente com o desenvolvimento de delirium. Um modelo de regressão logística múltipla, que utilizou mortalidade hospitalar como variável de desfecho dependente (para estudar os fatores de risco para óbito), mostrou que o índice de severidade da doença, como o aferido segundo o escore Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, o uso de ventilação mecânica por mais de 7 dias e o número de dias de sedação foram as dependentes preditoras de mortalidade hospitalar mais elevada. Conclusão: Este estudo latino-americano de coorte confirmou os fatores específicos importantes para delirium e o desfecho óbito entre pacientes admitidos a uma unidade de terapia intensiva geral. Em ambas as análises, identificamos que a duração da ventilação mecânica é um preditor de desfechos desfavoráveis.

ABSTRACT Objective: To establish the prevalence of delirium in a general intensive care unit and to identify associated factors, clinical expression and the influence on outcomes. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study in a medical surgical intensive care unit. The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale and Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit were used daily to identify delirium in mechanically ventilated patients. Results: In this series, delirium prevalence was 80% (N = 184 delirious patients out of 230 patients). The number of patients according to delirium psychomotor subtypes was as follows: 11 hyperactive patients (6%), 9 hypoactive patients (5%) and 160 mixed patients (89%). Multiple logistic regression modeling using delirium as the dependent outcome variable (to study the risk factors for delirium) revealed that age > 65 years, history of alcohol consumption, and number of mechanical ventilation days were independent variables associated with the development of delirium. The multiple logistic regression model using hospital mortality as the dependent outcome variable (to study the risk factors for death) showed that severity of illness, according to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days, and sedation days were all independent predictors for excess hospital mortality. Conclusion: This Latin American prospective cohort investigation confirmed specific factors important for the development of delirium and the outcome of death among general intensive care unit patients. In both analyses, we found that the duration of mechanical ventilation was a predictor of untoward outcomes.

Dignificando el Final de la Vida en Cuidados Intensivos / Dignifying the End of Life in the Intensive Care Unit

Con frecuencia, cuando una persona se enferma, comienza un complicado proceso de consultas médicas, utilización de sofisticados medios auxiliares de diagnóstico, e instauración de tratamientos cada vez más complejos y costosos. Cuando, en vez de curar la enfermedad progresa; el enfermo se ve abrumado por la aplicación de nuevas exploraciones altamente tecnificadas que persiguen alcanzar un diagnóstico más preciso de la enfermedad a fin de instaurar medidas terapéuticas más agresivas. Como es de esperar, en muchos casos la enfermedad sigue su curso y llega un momento en el que tanto el paciente como sus allegados y el equipo médico se preguntan hasta qué punto es razonable continuar. Esta encrucijada es el punto de decisión de aceptar el final de la vida como evento natural. Pero en muchos casos se percibe como un fracaso, y no como la historia natural de los procesos graves.

Frequently, when a person falls ill, a complicated process of medical visits, use of sophisticated auxiliary means for diagnosis, and the establishment of treatments that are becoming more and more complex and expensive starts. When, instead of the patient's getting cured, the illness advances, the patient becomes overwhelmed due to the new and highly developed explorations that pursue a more precise diagnosis of the illness in order to establish more aggressive therapeutic measures. As it is expected, the illness, in many cases, continues advancing and reaches a moment in which both the patient and their close relatives, as well as the medical team, wonder until when it is still reasonable to continue with the treatments. This crossroads is the point of decision to accept death as a natural event. Most of the times, nevertheless, death is perceived as a failure, not as the natural story of serious processes.

Recomendaciones para el uso de anticonvulsivantes en el paciente con patologías neurológicas críticas más comunes. Revisión / Recommendations for the use of anticonvulsants in the patient with more common critical neurological pathologies. Review

INTRODUCCIÓN: El uso de medicación anticomicial en el pacienteneurocrítico plantea múltiples debates en el equipo médico.Las actuales recomendaciones sobre el uso de medicación anticomicial en pacientes neurocríticos dejan vacíos con relación a su uso en situaciones particulares en este grupo de patologías.MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó revisión bibliográfica en bases de datos como COCHRANE y NCBI-PUBMED con términos MeSH: intracranial Haemorrhage, Subaracnoideal Haemorrhage, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, seizures, antiepileptics drugs. Se incluyeron las guías de la American Heart Association (AHA), American Association Of Neurology (AAN), American Association of neurological Surgeons (AANS), Brain Trauma Foundation, centrando en el inicio de profilaxis de anticomicial al ingreso en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos.Las recomendaciones se realizaron utilizando el sistema de clasificación de recomendación y grados de evidencia propuesto por las guías de la AHA.RESULTADOS: Pocas recomendaciones son con evidencias de alto grado, la mayoría son basadas en reportes retrospectivos y recomendación de expertos. CONCLUSIONES: La literatura actual disponible subraya la necesidad de mayor investigación en el tema, por lo que se da lugar a debates al momento de tomar la decisión del uso de dicha medicación, incluyendo los interrogantes habituales sobre la aparición de efectos adversos y la evaluación de su relación costo ­ efectividad

INTRODUCTION: The use of anticonvulsant medication on the neurocritic patient raises multiple debates in the medical team. The present recommendations about the use of anticonvulsant medication on the neurocritic patient leave empty spaces in relation to their use in particular situations in this group of pathologies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A bibliographical revision was done in databases such as COCHRANE and NCBI-PUBMED with MeSH terminology: intracranial haemorrhage, subaracnoideal haemorrhage, stroke, traumatic brain injury, seizures, and antiepileptic drugs. In order to focus on the beginning of anticonvulsant prophylaxis when entering the ICU, guides from several associations were included: American Heart Association (AHA), American Association of Neurology (AAN), American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Brain Trauma Foundation. The recommendations were made using the classification system of recommendation and degrees of evidence proposed by the guides of the AHA. RESULTS: Few recommendations are given with a high degree; most of them are based on retrospective reports and the recommendation of experts. CONCLUSIONS: The present available literature highlights the need for more investigation on the topic. Because of this, more debates take place when making a decision about the use of said medication, including the habitual questioning about adverse effects and the evaluation of its cost - effectiveness

Cambios en la hemodinamia cerebral en consumidores crónicos de paco y cocaína: estudio de casos y controles / [Changes in cerebral hemodynamics in chronic users of \"PACO\" and cocaine: case-control study].

OBJECTIVE: To assess if there are changes in brain hemodynamics evaluated by means of transcranial doppler’s flow velocity, pulsatile index and cerebral perfusion pressure, between cocaine chronic abusers and healthy volunteers. METHOD: Prospective, case and control, observational study. Sex, age, user history, vital signs and transcranial doppler findings.Statistical analysis was performed by means of normality test, Wilcoxon’s test for non parametric samples and T Student test. RESULTS: Fifty-three abusers and 35 healthy volunteers were studied. Statistical differences were found for a diminish in age(p=0.008) and cerebral perfusion pressure in all cerebral arteries (p

Monitoreo neurológico / Neurological monitoring

En este artículo se analizan los distintos elementos disponibles para la monitorización del enfermo neurológico crítico. Se actualizan las indicaciones para el monitoreo de presión intracraneana, presión de perfusión cerebral, flujo sanguíneo cerebral, oximetría cerebral invasiva y no invasiva, doppler transcraneano, electroencefalografía, potenciales evocados, presión tisular de oxígeno y microdiálisis cerebral. Las citas bibliográficas permitirán al lector que lo desee profundizar el tema.